


All That Matters (alternate ending)

by grimalkinInferno, tikii



Category: RWBY
Genre: AU, Alternate Ending, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Birb Dad and Farm Son, Father-Son Relationship, Hurt/Comfort, Hypothermia, Panic Attacks, Rewrite, Whump, protect oscar 2k18
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-13
Updated: 2018-12-13
Packaged: 2019-09-17 06:46:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,918
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16969710
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/grimalkinInferno/pseuds/grimalkinInferno, https://archiveofourown.org/users/tikii/pseuds/tikii
Summary: In which the recent events are too much for Oscar to handle**Trigger Warning - Panic Attacks****Spoiler Warning for Chapter 4**--basically a rewrite of this fic's ending! i loved it so much and it gave me a lot of ideas, so i just sorta had to write something about it even if i didnt share it anywhere. luckily teekss (Precious bean) read it and gave me permission to post it!





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [tikii](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tikii/gifts).
  * Inspired by [All That Matters](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16652221) by [tikii](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tikii/pseuds/tikii). 



Oscar felt like just collapsing in the snow and never getting up.  
He didn’t think the others would care if he did, so he was seriously considering doing it.  
The boy shuddered, gripping onto his backpack tighter. After everything that Jinn had showed them, after everything they’d been through… Ozpin just… bounced. He left. He could hardly feel the man’s presence anymore. Oscar tried to take in a gulp of air without letting anyone notice that he was slowly entering a panic attack. He could feel it crawling up from his chest into his throat. He tried to swallow the panic down, but it kept on crawling its way up and up and up-  
“Guys. Be quiet.” Ruby’s voice snapped him back reality. Sure enough, there was a squeaking noise, and soon, they were standing outside Brunswick Farms, and Oscar almost laughed at the sheer irony. His cheek throbbed, his heart ached, his head hurt, and he just wanted to disappear. Even though he wasn’t Ozpin right now, everyone was wary and aggressive towards him - well, except for Ruby and Miss Maria, but that’s not the point.  
No one would notice if you disappeared, his mind said. Oscar stopped in front of the gate that Qrow was holding, his breath hitching. The panic began to creep back as he forced himself to move, looking anywhere but at Qrow.  
He heard the gate close behind him, and the huntsman lightly shoved past Oscar, causing the child to stumble to the side slightly. Oscar bit his lower lip to keep the tears welling in his eyes from spilling over.  
What if he went to sleep tonight and when he woke up, no one was there?  
Oscar felt like he was just punched in the gut (well, he was punched, but not in the gut.). The possibility of that happening was… high. Way too high. He could practically feel himself hyperventilating at his point. He needed to get out of here he needed some space he needed to be alone he needed-  
Before his mind could catch up to what he was doing, he jumped over the fence on the side of the farm and ran. If Qrow didn’t hesitate to punch him - and yeah, he was mad, Oscar got it, but that was his body - who knows what the rest would do to him. He was so afraid of what they would do to him.  
The freckled boy didn’t know how long he was running for.  
But for now, he had to concentrate on talking himself out of having the panic attack of the century.  
He leaned against the tree and gasped for air, clutching at his shirt. It’s okay, he told himself, It’s okay. But it wasn’t okay. He didn’t think it would be okay for a while. That panic rose up and up and up until he forced itself out of his mouth.  
And then he screamed.  
It was a loud scream, and even though it felt good to get it out, it did little to quell his panic. Oscar was hit with a dizzy spell, and he slowly sank to the ground, not caring that the snow stung. Everything was going so horrible at the moment and he would never be able to erase the image of Salem stabbing herself and the fact that Ozpin lied, and he would never be able to forget all Ozpin’s past lives dying and all the death and blood and-  
He couldn’t breathe he couldn’t breathe he couldn’t breathe he couldn’t breathe **_he couldn’t breathe-_**  
He let out a sob, curling up into a ball and shaking like a leaf in the wind. He couldn’t even think straight - he couldn’t grasp onto a single thought. There was nothing and no one to ground him, and there wasn’t anything or anyone to comfort him.  
The truth slammed into him full force, making him sob even harder - he was all alone. He would be all alone until the others learned to trust him again, and that wouldn’t be for a while.  
Oscar gripped at his hair, every sob seeming like a heavier weight on his chest. If he were to stay here, would they even care? Would they even go look for him? Would they leave him? He hoped they wouldn’t leave him, but that seemed like a big possibility.  
How would he survive out here? Alone? With just a cane and a useless wizard who locked himself away?  
He wouldn’t.  
He would die out here he would die he would die **_he would die out here and no one would care._**  
Oscar felt as if he were slowly dying. Black spots danced in his vision and his chest felt like it was getting crushed slowly.  
He was drowning.  
He was drowning and he didn't know how to swim, didn't know which way the surface was, didn't have anyone to pull him up even for the tiniest breath of air.  
The air was cold and thin, it tasted like pain, tearing through his lungs like knives so sharp he was amazed he wasn't coughing up blood.  
He didn't know how to get back.  
And would it matter if he did?  
He couldn't hear. Couldn't see. Couldn't feel. Couldn't think.  
Couldn't **_breathe_**.  
\--  
Oscar's entire being felt like static.  
Everything was prickly, fuzzy, indistinct and sharp. All of these sensations, yet he was brought no new information from it. He felt as if he'd been asleep for days.  
Where was he? What happened?  
The first thing Oscar noticed was that he was very, very cold. His extremities were numb and the rest of his body felt like it was not far behind. He was heavy, yet he couldn't stop shivering, could hardly move from how tightly coiled into himself he was.  
Next, when he opened his eyes, his vision was blurry but able to make out that everything was very white. Very white and very alone. This didn't change much when it cleared.  
Finally, the ringing in his ears faded and he could hear the cold breeze and shifting evergreens around him, muffled by the stifling silence surrounding it.  
Then Oscar remembered.  
It was like a fresh punch to the face (he couldn't feel it much anymore, but it was still there, faintly). He felt with new bitterness the empty chasm in his mind, the presence so small but not gone. He found himself hoping, foolishly, that Ozpin- Ozma?- might have taken some notice of the panic that strangled him earlier (whenever that was). Apparently, this was not the case.  
Oscar was alone.  
He should go back to them. Get up, try and get a sense of direction, maybe climb a tree.  
... He should...  
... Any second now...  
He wasn't getting up.  
What would that accomplish, anyway? He didn't know where he was, it was a fat chance he would be able to see very far with this snow, and he was so _tired_...  
Besides, no one had come after him yet. He didn't know how long it had been, but maybe long enough for someone to look for him if they cared to. Guess they didn't.  
Maybe this was for the best. After all, it wasn't like Oscar would be able to have his old life back. He was stuck here, stuck with no purpose other than to become someone else's body to perpetuate a futile cycle of life and death of which he was only a small and inconsequential part. Ozma would just go to a different body. Oscar would die without having to live a life that _wasn't his._  
And maybe that would be better.  
So Oscar shut his eyes against the blinding light and let himself sink back into darkness, tears freezing on his cheeks.  
\--  
Something was different.  
Someone... someone was... saying something. Yelling. Calling for someone... calling for him?  
He tried to open his eyes, but they were so heavy... were they glued shut? No, stupid, the glue would freeze before setting, it was way too cold. He tried again, and managed to open them a little. He saw... figures. Red. White. Someone running, getting closer... then he felt warm hands on his shoulders- oh, dust, they were so warm, they were burning- shaking him slightly, panicking in a rough low voice-  
"... ank dust you're okay, holy shit, c'mon kiddo, say something..."  
He knew that voice.  
"... Qrow...?"  
His own voice was so soft he barely heard it, but he must've said it because Qrow immediately clutched him close to his chest, heart hammering against Oscar's ear and surrounding him with warmth. Qrow's breath stuttered as he drew in a deep sigh and let it out, hand carding through Oscar's hair and muttering something. Oscar couldn't tell what he was saying, but it was oddly soothing, and he soon found himself drifting again...  
\--  
"... idn't even think he was alive, thank the gods we found him when we did."  
"But he's okay, right?"  
"He will be. Just needs some rest, and a whole lot of blankets."  
"Why do you think he... ran off like that?"  
"He was scared." ... "That's my guess, anyway. I mean, he's just a _kid_ \- he probably didn't ask for any of this."  
"Blake, _you're_ all just kids too."  
"And I've done the same thing. I'm not proud of it, but it's true."  
"... Do you think... maybe when Qrow punched Ozpin..."  
"... It _was_ still technically Oscar's body..."  
"... Shit... this is my fault..."  
"Uncle Qrow... you were mad, you weren't thinking straight, and it was still technically Ozpin at the time-"  
"That's no excuse, is it?"  
"Weiss?"  
"I'm not trying to say he did it intentionally, or that he's a bad person for it, but he should still be held responsible for his actions." ... "That being said... don't beat yourself up about it. I certainly don't blame you, but it was still a bad move. As long as you know that, then I think it's fine."  
"Ruby... what do you think?"  
"... I think this has affected everyone in a lot of different ways, and its caused us to hurt each other. No matter how we feel about Ozpin's... Ozma's... past, we can't let that tear us apart. _No one_ is to blame here. We need to focus on helping each other and staying together."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i didnt mean for this to be so sad but. here we are!
> 
> happy ending tho? might continue? i made it vague who was speaking at the end cause i figured it would be like, oscar just listening to them when hes waking up or something? idk


	2. not a chapter- a poll!

first off- thanks so much for the overwhelming support for this little thing! i just typed it up over a couple days on my notes app- i never expected people to like it so much! i have a few ideas for how to continue this, so it would really help me out if youd let me know your vote in the comments so i can get an idea of whats the most intriguing part of the story and entertain you guys the most!

1\. don't continue this- i like it the way it is!

2\. direct continuation from oscar's point of view (story moves forward faster + sweet boy)

3\. flashback to qrow's point of view of the events (more clarity on what exactly is happening + dad feels)

4\. a new fic with the same premise but entirely different execution (more original, more wiggle room for me to play with concepts + a cool fight scene i have planned)

5\. any combination thereupon!

i should note i have the most ideas CURRENTLY AS OF WRITING THIS for 3 and 4! i may end up doing 4 on my own anyway, but i consider that to be highly unlikely since theyre just so similar. let me know what you think! ^^


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